Thomas frowned.
"No."
Patricia turned toward him.
"You can't just stand there and let someone make me do this."
Marcus answered quietly.
"No one made you."
The silence that followed was absolute.
Even the neighborhood seemed to have stopped.
Patricia looked around.
Several neighbors had come outside.
A man stood across the street with his phone raised.
A woman near the sidewalk was whispering to another neighbor.
A teenager stood on a porch watching.
Patricia suddenly realized how many people had seen her.
She lowered the saw.
Marcus said, "Put it down."
She did.
Thomas approached.
"I recommend you leave the property."
"This is an HOA matter."
"No."
Thomas pointed toward the survey.
"This is a property matter."
Patricia's face tightened.
"You have no authority."
"Neither do you."
The sentence landed harder than the saw.
Patricia looked at Marcus.
"This isn't over."
Marcus nodded.
"I know."
She turned.
Then stopped.
"You're going to regret this."
Marcus looked at the demolished fence.
"No."
Patricia walked toward her SUV.
Thomas watched her leave.
Marcus remained still.
After she drove away, Thomas approached him.
"You okay?"
Marcus nodded.
"Yes."
"You knew she'd do this?"
"I knew she might."
Thomas looked at the boards.
"She destroyed a lot."
"She did."
"You're remarkably calm."
Marcus smiled faintly.
"I learned a long time ago that anger doesn't make evidence stronger."
Thomas laughed.
"That's a good line."
Marcus looked at him.
"It's not a line."
"I know."
They spent the next hour photographing the damage.
Thomas marked every post.
He measured the sections.
He documented the saw cuts.
He recorded the exact location of the boundary markers.
Marcus called his attorney.
Then he called the police.
An officer arrived.
The officer examined the scene.
He looked at the survey.
Then at the damaged fence.
Then at the video.
Patricia had returned while the officer was there.
She stepped out of her SUV.
"I want to report harassment."
The officer looked at her.
"By whom?"
"Marcus Reed."
"What did he do?"
"He allowed me to be filmed without permission."
The officer glanced at the surveyor.
"Mr. Avery, were you hired to conduct a property survey?"
"Yes."
"Was this your equipment?"
"Yes."
"Did you record the work?"
"Yes."
"Was the camera clearly visible?"
"Yes."
The officer nodded.
Then he looked at Patricia.
"What exactly is the complaint?"
"He manipulated me."
The officer raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
"He told me to keep cutting."
"Did he threaten you?"
"No."
"Touch you?"
"No."
"Block you?"
"No."
"Tell you that you had legal authority?"